Day 3 includes yet another house in the Portland area. The house is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, but that’s not why most people visit the house. The house is now a museum, the rooms turned into galleries.

If you enjoy natural science then you will adore this museum. If that’s not your thing, then you’ll be really bored here. It really is a museum of pretty much only rocks & minerals.

Technically, it’s called the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals. But, who’s going to say all that? We just call it the Rice Rock Museum or even the Rock Museum.

The home turned museum was built in 1952 by rockhounds, Richard & Helen Rice.

Right out front is a large quartz piece found in Arkansas.

Main Building

The Rainbow Gallery is one of our favorites.
Top: In normal light the minerals aren’t all that wowing…
Bottom: … But, wait a few seconds and the lights go out. Then, they cycle through both shortwave & longwave florescent lights. The minerals react differently to the varying wavelengths. They seem to glow.

Top: A visual representation of the hardness scale of minerals.
Bottom: The kids can even test the hardness scale themselves.

Also on display are examples of how minerals are used in our everyday lives.

Synthetic Bismuth from Germany
To be honest, I have know idea what that means, but I thought it was super cool.

The lady on the left is carved from jade. The piece on the right is agate & from Beijing.

Mt. Hood Aurora Borealis carved from contra luz opal by Thomas Harth Ames.

Dennis & Mary Murphy Petrified Wood Gallery

Carved Lewis and Clark

Bottom Left: The green stuff is Pyromorphite. Found in France.
Bottom Right: Wulfenite. Found in Arizona.

Recently a letterbox was hidden at the museum. Of course, we had to find it.

The rare, beautiful & famous ‘Alma Rose’ rhodochrosite. From Colorado.

Cut gems

Northwest Mineral Gallery

As you enter this building you are greeted by this huge opal filled thunderegg found in Oregon. The thunderegg is Oregon’s state rock.

Mesolite. Found in Washington

Another good sized Thunderegg. These rocks are dull on the outside, but beautiful inside.

These thundereggs are about fist size, a more typical size.

Oregon’s state gem, sunstone.

I loved these 3 paintings showing the process of a petrified forest.
Top: “Before Petrification: A forest, including fallen logs is depicted. Volcanoes are erupting in the distance. A lake separates the forest from the volcanoes, and the lakes water cools the lava.”
Middle: “During Petrification: Logs are buried under lava (basalt) and a top layer of soil has developed, implying a long passage of time since burial. The overlying basalt and soil create anaerobic environment preventing the wood from decomposing. Silica rich water seeps down through the soil and basalt to the wood and precipitates microcrystalline quartz (agate/chert/jasper) and/or opal. Other minerals/elements in the water (eg iron) cause the coloration.”
Bottom: “After Petrification: A new landscape exists and erosion has now exposed the now petrified wood to the surface.”

Outside

Left: There is a huge rock pile outside. The kids each got to pick one to take home.
Right: Farm Girl was sweet and gave me her rock to put around our pond. It’s sitting next to a love rock.

My kids love this Rock Museum. We’ve visited it a few times and I’m sure we’ll visit it again.
To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

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Love Rocks have taken our community by storm. It’s a wonderful thing.

Last October two girls were hit by a car in front of their home. It’s not my story to tell, so I’m choosing not to say more about it. But, these girls are now helping us spread love & joy because their mom chose to share Love Rocks with us.

This amazing mom has been sharing her journey at a Love Drenched Life. It’s raw emotion about the grief she’s going through & the love she feels.

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WHAT IS A LOVE ROCK?

It is a rock hand decorated with a heart. The Love Rock is then given to someone, or hidden for somebody to find. It’s simple, yet means a lot. It shows you care. It lets someone know they are loved. It encourages us to think about others. It reminds us that there is good in this world.

MAKING YOUR LOVE ROCK

Our Supplies:
Rocks: we used river rock gathered from our pond & rocks we had previously polished
Fabric & Ribbon for the hearts
Scissors & Paintbrushes
Mod Podge
Sparkle Glaze: not necessary, but I enjoy a little sparkle

Top Right: The kids found it a tad difficult to cut out the hearts, so I did it.
Middle Left: The kids each chose one river rock & one polished rock. Then they glued a heart to each rock.
Middle Right: We put mod podge both on top and bottom of the heart.
Bottom: After the glue dried we brushed on the sparkle glaze.

SPREADING LOVE

In Forest Grove there is a rainbow tree in the girls’ memory. You can drop off your Love Rocks or grab a Love Rock to share.

Left: The day we dropped off our Love Rocks firemen were adding more color to the tree.
Right: My kids putting their Love Rocks in the bucket.

Recently there was a shooting at a high school in Troutdale, so the Love Rocks collected were spread around that community.

FINDING LOVE ROCKS

My kids have found a few Love Rocks in various places. Of course, we are always thrilled. Adults are happy to find them, too. We’ve even received them in goodie bags from the dentist.

LOVE

I love that our community and beyond have embraced the power of these Love Rocks. It feels good to both give & receive love.

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